500 Miles Away From Home

500 Miles Away From Home

The Kingston Trio

Lyrics

I'm 500 miles away from home
Teardrops fell on momma's note
When I read the things she wrote
She said we miss you son we love you come on home
Well I didn't have to pack
I had it all right on my back
Now I'm 500 miles away from home
Away from home away from home
Cold and tired and all alone
Yes, I'm 500 miles away from home

I know this is the same road I took the day I left home,
But it sure looks different now. And I guess I look
Different too, cause time changes everything. I wonder what
They'll say, when they see their boy looking this bad.

Oh I wonder what they'll say when I get home
Can't remember when I ate
It's just thumb and walk and wait
And I'm still 500 miles away from home
If my luck had been just right
I'd be with them all tonight
But I'm 500 miles away from home
Away from home away from home
Oh I'm still 500 miles away from home

Songwriters
BARE, BOBBY / WILLIAMS, CHARLIE / WEST, HEDY

500 Miles Away From Home
(Bobby Bare / Hedy West / Charlie Williams)
Bobby Bare - 1963

"500 Miles" (also known as "500 Miles Away from Home" or "Railroaders' Lament") is a song made popular in the United States and Europe during the 1960s folk revival. The simple repetitive lyrics offer a lament by a traveller who is far from home, out of money and too ashamed to return.

History

The song is generally credited as being written by Hedy West, and a 1961 copyright is held by Atzal Music, Inc. "500 Miles" is West's "most anthologized song."

Some recordings have also credited Curly Williams, and/or John Phillips as co-writers.

David Neale writes that "500 Miles" may be related to the older folk song, "900 Miles," which may itself have origins in the southern American fiddle tunes "Reuben's Train" and "Train 45."

Cover versions

• The song appears on the 1961 self-titled debut album by The Journeymen; this may have been its first release.
  
• The song was heard on the February, 1962 Kingston Trio live album College Concert (a 1962 US #3).
  
• It was further popularized by Peter, Paul and Mary, who included the song on their debut album in May 1962.
  
• American country music singer Bobby Bare recorded a version with new lyrics, which became a hit single in 1963.
  
• The song was covered by Sonny & Cher on their 1965 album Look at Us. This version was played over the credits of the 1966 BBC TV film Cathy Come Home.
  
• The lyrics feature heavily in the Bob Dylan song "I Was Young When I Left Home."
  
• Dick and Dee Dee released a version of the song on their 1964 album, Turn Around.
  
• The Hooters recorded a version of this song with additional lyrics, dedicated to the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989. It goes: "A hundred tanks along the square, one man stands and stops them there. Some day soon, the tide will turn, and I'll be free."
  
• It has also been recorded by the Brothers Four, Glen Campbell, Johnny Rivers, Reba McEntire, Jackie DeShannon, The Seekers, Elvis Presley, The Highwaymen, The Seldom Scene, Nick Cave, Richard Anthony, Franco Battiato, Rosanne Cash, Bad Astronaut, Peter and Gordon, Eric Bibb, Hootenanny Singers, the innocence mission, Joan Baez, Takako Matsu, Justin Timberlake, The Persuasions and many others.^[10] 
  
  Recently, the song has been recorded by Justin Timberlake, Carey Mulligan and Stark Sands for the soundtrack of the film Inside Llewyn Davis.

 In other languages

• Richard Anthony had a hit with a French version of the song, "Et j'entends siffler le train"  (English: "I Hear the Whistle of the Train"). It reached number-one in France in 1962.  J'entends Siffler Le Train (Jacques Plante - Harold Jeffries)

• In 1963 the German version, "Und dein Zug fährt durch die Nacht" (English: "And Your Train Goes Through the Night") was a success for Peter Beil.

• Also in German, Santiano in 2012 released a marine-themed version, "500 Meilen" on their album Bis ans Ende der Welt.

• The Swedish release by The Hootenanny Singers is titled "Så länge du älskar är du ung" (English: "As Long As You Love, You’re Young").

• In 1967 Waldemar Matuška and Helena Vondráčková made Czech cover named "Tisíc mil" (1000 Miles), which was smash hit in that year.

• An Assamese version, "Ketiyaba Bejarote" by singer Jayanta Hazarika exists, which is about a son missing his mother who is far away from him. The song was released in 1970-80s.

• There is an Indian Hindi version called "Jab Koi Baat Bigad Jaaye" from movie Jurm (1990) sung by Kumar Sanu and Sadhana Sargam.

• Popular Bengali singer Anjan Dutta sung the song in Bengali called "Mr. Hall" in his album Keu Gaan Gaye.

• The Japanese duo Wink included it as the B-side of their 1989 single 淋しい熱帯魚 (Samishii Nettaigyo^?), under the title 背中 まで 500 マイル (Senaka Made 500 Mairu; 500 Miles Back^?).

It is sung by Justin Timberlake, Carey Mulligan and Stark Sands in Inside Llewyn Davis.

"Five Hundred Miles" 
Justin Timberlake, Carey Mulligan & Stark Sands

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/500_Miles

Et J'entends Siffler le Train